Integrating physical and mental healthcare

EASE (Engaging Activity Supporting Existence) is a Community Interest Company set up to provide an integration of physical and mental healthcare services. Specifically, EASE clinicians work alongside and collaboratively with medics who treat people with a range of physical healthcare needs that have psychological components or ramifications. For example, there is clear evidence about how untreated conditions lead to premature mortality in people who have mental health concerns and do not routinely address physical healthcare needs. However, more importantly, many physical conditions lead to psychological and emotional distress which not only inhibits the person further but may exacerbate the physical conditions as well as lead to compound pharmacological interventions that are complicated to manage and often conceal the co-morbid or multi-morbitity of the difficulties. Most clearly, it is apparent when people are diagnosed with cancer or other potentially life-threatening or limiting conditions where the initial diagnosis is a shock, the treatment is lengthy and requires psychological resilience, the outcome is unclear so hope is called into question, meaning of life issues arise as well as a host of other concerns. Further examples such as asthma, ME,fibromyalgia and other conditions are difficult to treat simply from a somatic stance and it is known that approximately 30% of all GP consultations involve psychological presentations